# AI Chip Revelations | A Corporate Soap Opera | The Sounds of a Pandemic

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2020-04-17
- Length: 38m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic
- Listen: https://podcast.show/aspencore/episode/58899834/

## Summary

EE Times editors discuss the corporate turmoil at Imagination Technologies, where CEO Ron Black was removed following a dispute with Chinese-backed owner Canyon Bridge over board control and IP security. Analyst Kevin Krewell reports on the Spring Linley Conference, highlighting new AI chip architectures from Groq, Cerebras, and Flex Logi, while noting that software complexity remains the primary challenge. The episode concludes with a global audio essay, 'The Sounds of the Pandemic,' featuring personal accounts of life during lockdown from Italy, Taiwan, the UK, France, and China.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=0) Introduction: Imagination Technologies Crisis and Linley Conference Overview
- [3:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=213) Imagination Technologies Board Chaos and Chinese Ownership Debate
- [11:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=705) Kevin Krewell on AI Chip Revelations at the Linley Conference
- [18:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=1122) AI Hardware vs. Software Complexity and Compiler Challenges
- [22:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=1321) Virtual Conference Experience: Zoom vs. On24 and Networking Drawbacks
- [29:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic#t=1747) The Sounds of the Pandemic: Global Audio Essay and Lockdown Life

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Imagination Technologies (company)
- Canyon Bridge (company)
- Ron Black (other)
- Groq (company)
- Cerebras (company)
- Flex Logi (company)
- Arm (company)
- RISC-V (other)
- Nvidia (company)
- TSMC (company)
- Global Foundries (company)
- Arduino (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [EP 161: TSMC Earnings, Cerebras S1, Custom Semi Rumors, Apple CEO Change](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-04-21-ep-161-tsmc-earnings-cerebras-s1-custom-semi-rumors-apple-ceo-change) (The Circuit)
- [Data Provenance in the Home, Server, and Fab](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-12-23-data-provenance-in-the-home-server-and-fab) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep 191: Agents Gone Wild: Broadcom’s ASICs and the AI Frontier](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2026-09-07-ep-191-agents-gone-wild-broadcoms-asics-and-the-ai-frontier) (The Circuit)
- [EP 134: Apple iPhones and Tensor Cores, Synopsis Earnings, Hock's Comments at Goldman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-09-14-ep-134-apple-iphones-and-tensor-cores-synopsis-earnings-hocks-comments-at-goldma) (The Circuit)
- [Season 5 of Moore's Lobby is Coming Soon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-09-06-season-5-of-moores-lobby-is-coming-soon) (Moore's Lobby)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-17-ai-chip-revelations-a-corporate-soap-opera-the-sounds-of-a-pandemic. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to EE Times Current.